Crashoutcassius
Full Member
I was a manager at a mid level in a Dublin league. Had a very straight forward approach - 5 3 2 with a sweeper for 30 mins and try to contain and frustrate the opposition. We had excellent centre backs and made it work... would struggle badly to break.
Once we felt the team out a bit we would make a switch to match their formation if they didn't have very pacey players. We would press man to man usually in a diamond or 433.
It worked well as a strategy because at that levels if they couldn't break you down teams would lose a lot of patience and abandon their main game. They would play more speculative passes or else be confused as to where they should be and that creates good opportunities to win the ball and break through middle. Would often move the best defender into central defensive mid to try take the ball off the toe of the opposition number 10 as they receive the ball in worse and worse situations.
Only system I wouldn't play at that level is 4 4 2. Wingers are absolutely pointless. Best case scenario is they get to the by line and put a cross in, the cross won't have much power on it and it's impossible to generate a header to finish. You need full backs to defend and in a diamond you need to shuffle across to cover full backs but generally just let full backs have the ball and save your energy to press the ball in between the penalty boxes like crazy.
Once we felt the team out a bit we would make a switch to match their formation if they didn't have very pacey players. We would press man to man usually in a diamond or 433.
It worked well as a strategy because at that levels if they couldn't break you down teams would lose a lot of patience and abandon their main game. They would play more speculative passes or else be confused as to where they should be and that creates good opportunities to win the ball and break through middle. Would often move the best defender into central defensive mid to try take the ball off the toe of the opposition number 10 as they receive the ball in worse and worse situations.
Only system I wouldn't play at that level is 4 4 2. Wingers are absolutely pointless. Best case scenario is they get to the by line and put a cross in, the cross won't have much power on it and it's impossible to generate a header to finish. You need full backs to defend and in a diamond you need to shuffle across to cover full backs but generally just let full backs have the ball and save your energy to press the ball in between the penalty boxes like crazy.